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Friday, September 5, 2014
SERVING MISSION SINCE 1908
Derelict building owners warned Blaze in abandoned home posed major hazard to fire crews Tyler OLSEN MISSION RECORD
After a blaze Sunday night, property owners are being warned that they are on the hook for costs associated with fighting human-caused fires in buildings used by squatters. Fire crews responded to a structure fire in an abandoned home off Second Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. Fire chief Larry Watkinson said the building was “known as a decrepit building where people were squatting and was frequently used by drug users.” As they headed to the scene, firefighters received
reports there were people inside the house. Crews entered and found nobody in the home, but there was plenty of evidence it was frequented by squatters. “There were up to 12 sleeping areas that we found inside the structure,” Watkinson said. The home was gutted by flames. While investigators aren’t sure of the cause, Watkinson suspects the blaze was started by those who had been living inside, possibly by a direct flame such as a candle. On Tuesday, after the investigation, an excavator was brought onto the site to demolish the building. The fire underscores the need for property owners to
take responsibility for vacant buildings, Watkinson stated. While crews would normally have allowed the fire to burn itself out, reports of people inside required firefighters to enter the structure to make sure no one was trapped or injured. Along with the dangers inherent in entering any burning building, vacant and derelict structures can pose additional hazards. Following this blaze, crews found multiple propane canisters, needles and garbage. “It poses a hazard to the people who are squatting there and it poses a major threat to firefighters,” Watkinson Continued on3
A house destroyed in a fire late Sunday night was demolished the following day. Fire officials are warning property owners they are responsible for costs arising from hazards posed by derelict and abandoned buildings, which are often occupied by vagrants. TYLER OLSEN PHOTO
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